That Toyota App is Kinda Spooky

When I bought my new Tacoma last May, the salesman convinced me to download this free "Toyota" app on my smartphone. It would give me remote start ability and reports about my truck. Okay, I did.
Now I get these little useless notifications now like "passengers door opened at xxxxx" and "passengers door closed at xxxxxx". Well, how nice (please note the sarcasm).
Here's the odd one though. Yesterday I had the hood open for a while doing a little mod installing the hood lift cylinders and later noticed a notification about the hood opened. How'd they know that? I mean there aren't any electrical sensors related to the hood that I know of. I never started the truck while the hood was opened either.
I'm going to go and reinforce my tinfoil hat with another layer.

 

There is something telling it the hood is open. It displays in the center cluster as well. Does on my 2016 so I figure they all do it, not sure for SR / SR5 though

 

My app tells me when I leave the moonroof open.

 

Look at it this way. When you take it in for service, you'll know that the tech at least opened the hood. My 2020 does the same.

 

lol, you sure you changed the oil? The hood was never opened.....

 

I wonder where the hood sensor is too. Every time I air up my tires I get that annoying hood open alert and can’t see the tire pressure screen anymore.

 

you folks are sooooo funny!

I really only use the app for the remote start feature and, it works like shit most of the time.
Really slow to get the app to open, then waiting forever for the truck to start and even longer if it doesn't start which happens more than it should IMHO. Honestly, I could walk outside and start it in less time.

 

There's a connector right on the hood latch catch.

 

Check out my driver score. Yeah I drive like an old woman

 

Hmmm, my app loads quickly. I've used the remote start and the door lock features, no problems. I've even set up the Alexa skill for when I get really lazy and just tell her to start my truck.

 

Weird! I called Toyota and complained and asked if there were updates (no!). I've uninstalled and re-installed a couple of times.
Still works like shit with the new phone I had to buy when I bought the truck

Would have been happy with just a key fob button. But, I really don't use the other features much and, I'm not starting it from the other side of the world. Yes, I like emojis!

 

Yep, takes almost an hour for that light to go out if you're leaving it open intentionally..

 

Damn, I knew it was a while, didn't know it was that long. well, I did just put in my third battery last weekend...

 

Someone recently called for help because he left his keys home and couldn’t start his truck. I bet he would have loved it if someone at home could do it remotely.

 

Does anyone have an issue when you remote start and once you open the door it turns off?

thought this was odd... yeah... not digging the Toyota app, but it has been helpful at times when I accidentally leave my doors unlocked.

 

It's theft deterrent. Handy isn't it ?(insert heavy sarcasm!)

 

Subaru does the same thing with theirs.

 

As we say at work....the functionality is operating as designed

 

Everything on the vehicle that has sensors will report feedback to your vehicles ECU, which in turn is monitored by the remote connect module via CAN bus and this data/status is then polled every so often by the remote connect module to report back to you via user interface (app). Your hood is equipped with a hoodpin/limit switch...so not quite black magic.